Basic Fingerless Mittens

This pattern is originally by Julia Vaconsin and was published on the Crochet Me website.  I had some difficultly interpreting the pattern and ended up making my first pair such that they were "inside out".  I was crocheting from inside the mitten instead of from the outside.  I've taken the original pattern  and added stitch numbers and a couple other things that ultimately helped me be able to reproduce these mittens.

This pattern fits a 7 inch wrist.  I removed two stitches to accommodate a 6 inch wrist.

In this pattern - you will use a foundation single crochet, single crochet through the back loop, chain stitch and slip stitch.  All Sc will be worked through the back loop (tbl)

Body:
Fsc 28. Join for working in the round with a sl st at bottom of first fsc, being careful not to twist.
Rd 1: Right-side facing: Sc tbl in first fsc, place marker, sc tbl to end of round (28 sts) - do not Sc in sl st.
Rds 2-10: Sc tbl around.
Rd 11: Sc tbl 1 more in last st of  round 10, sc tbl 1 (= first st of round 11), sc tbl 2 in next st, sc tbl to end of round.
Rd 12: Sc tbl without increasing.
Repeat last 2 rounds 4 more times (38 sts) (increase happens on the odd rounds).
Rd 21: Work around to st 34 (4 sts before marker) ch 3 (new beginning of round is the second of those 3 sts), skip 4 sts after marker (rejoin at st 5 of Rd 20) (skip 9 st total).

Work even for another 7 rounds (30 rounds total) or up to desired length, ending with a sl st in first st of round. Fasten off.

Thumb:
Rejoin yarn at thumb opening. Sc tbl in all 9 thumb sts (that were previously on hold), sc tbl 1 in each bottom of 3 ch sts. Continue working in the round for 3 rounds or up to desired length, ending with a sl st in first st of round. .
Fasten off.

Finishing:
Weave in ends. Wash and block. Wear and enjoy.

 The first attempt - these are "inside out".

 Below are a set of "mother/daughter" mittens.  I adjusted the pattern down to fit their wrist sizes.

Nothing To Do With Arbroath: Massive Cornwall rockfall captured on video

Nothing To Do With Arbroath: Massive Cornwall rockfall captured on video: It looks a little like something from a slightly rough and ready disaster film. In fact it is a piece of Cornwall tumbling into the Atlantic...

The Economic Cost of Losing Bats

The Economic Cost of Losing Bats

Bats are a lot more important than we think.

Guy, Arkansas: The tiny town that gets a dozen earthquakes EVERY DAY after gas drilling goes awry | Mail Online

Guy, Arkansas: The tiny town that gets a dozen earthquakes EVERY DAY after gas drilling goes awry

10 animals with the longest life spans | MNN - Mother Nature Network

10 animals with the longest life spans | MNN - Mother Nature Network

Turritopsis nutricula jellyfish

This species of jellyfish might be the only animal in the world to have truly discovered the fountain of youth. Since it is capable of cycling from a mature adult stage to an immature polyp stage and back again, there may be no natural limit to its life span. Because they are able to bypass death, the number of individuals is spiking. "We are looking at a worldwide silent invasion,"says Dr. Maria Miglietta of the Smithsonian Tropical Marine Institute.

100 Ways to Save the Environment

Ever wonder if you can really make a difference in the world? Whether or not tossing that aluminum can in the recycle bin contributes anything? Here's a list of 100 simple things you can do to better the environment.

100 Ways to Save the Environment

A little Friday Frolicking!

Polar bear's long swim illustrates ice melt - Environment - MiamiHerald.com

Polar bear's long swim illustrates ice melt - Environment - MiamiHerald.com

Child Finds 33-Million-Year-Old Animal Skull - News Story - WSB Atlanta

Child Finds 33-Million-Year-Old Animal Skull - News Story - WSB Atlanta

The Badlands are such a magical place!

Commonly used coal tar-based pavement sealants contain toxic chemicals - WPMT

Commonly used coal tar-based pavement sealants contain toxic chemicals - WPMT

Review of Hard Fall by James Buchanan

 

This is the first book I've read by this author. The book starts of slow with a LOT of technical details about rock climbing (not boring to me since I used to climb, but potentially boring to non-climbers) that surround a rescue and recovery. The author does a very good job of establishing his characters and what makes the main character, Joe, tick.

Overall, it was a good story, however I had some problems with the dialog the author used with the main character. It did help establish the character, but made for very awkward reading. I wasn't happy with the ending, but that is a personal preference issue.

I am looking forward to reading more by this author. 4 stars.

Did you know there are THREE elephant species?

So - remember going to the zoo as a kid?  Depending on which zoo you went to, you got to see one of two types of elephants:  either the small-eared Asian Elephant or the large-eared African Elephant.   Well now knew research shows that the "African" elephant is actually two separate species:  a forest dwelling elephant and a savanna dwelling elephant.

African Elephant

Asian Elephant

Why does this matter you ask?   Because of the 500,000 or so "African" elephants, only about a fifth of them are of the forest dwelling species.  African elephants are already considered an endangered species.

PhillyBurbs.com: Dead Sea drilling to unearth scientific treasures

PhillyBurbs.com: Dead Sea drilling to unearth scientific treasures

How cool will this be?

Creative photos by Chema Madoz

Creative photos by Chema Madoz

Review of In the Flesh by Ethan Stone

Cristian Flesh is a damn good homicide detective, he's a damn good friend, but he has a long way to go in the relationship department.  Cris lives and breathes his rules; rules designed to keep him safe.  Safe from his own emotions.  While working a case, Cris' past slowly creeps up on him until he finds himself in the cross-hairs.  Enter sexy, in the closet, defense attorney Colby Maddox.  The reader gets to watch a hot romance unfold between the two while each are slowly coming to terms with their personal demons and their feelings for one another.

Wow, what can I say about this book? It was fabulous.  The author did a great job establishing the characters and feeding the read bits and pieces throughout the book.  The first part of the book reads like a true crime novel.  When I sat down with the book, I only intended to read a couple of pages - boom - three hours later I was crushed that it was over.  The second half of the book focuses mainly on the developing relationship between Cris and Colby.  The quantity of sex scenes and the quality of the romance blend perfectly together.

This is the first novel by this author and it is a hit right out of the gate.  If you love great m/m stories and compelling characters, then this is a must read book!

I fell in love with both characters and can't wait for a sequel.

Review of Love and Loyalty by Tere Michaels

Ms. Michaels does it again!  This book features a character we saw briefly in Faith & Fidelity.  Detective Jim Shea doesn't realize how lonely and sterile his life has become until it is invaded by Griffin Drake.

Ms. Michaels has become auto-buy for me.  This story is very well written and the characters are very "real".  There is just enough angst between the main characters to pull at your heart strings.  Griffin also does some soul searching that as a reader had me evaluating my own ethics. 

The love scenes between the main characters are very tasteful with just enough detail to move the book along. We also get to "hear" Jim's conversations with Matt (from Faith & Fidelity) so we get a nice glimpse into the lives of old friends. 

I really liked this book and highly recommend it to anyone who likes a great story to go along with their m/m action.

If Facebook existed years ago

If Facebook existed years ago

A very funny take on Facebook. I particularly like Ben Franklin's response to John Hancock.

Debate over mini-Ice Age rocks world of geology

This article puts a damper on the theory that my husband has been working on. I doubt that it will deter his research regarding super-civilizations.
I just think it is interesting that the mass extinction of 13,000 years ago is slowly getting more press than the extinction from the K-T boundary.

Debate over mini-Ice Age rocks world of geology

CBC News - British Columbia - Rockies fossils yield 8 new species

CBC News - British Columbia - Rockies fossils yield 8 new species

Will Fried Beer Take the Prize at the State Fair of Texas?

Deep-fried beer? Only in Texas.

Will Fried Beer Take the Prize at the State Fair of Texas?